HEKS/EPER is making a difference in the «Language» in Lebanon

According to UNHCR there are 996000 registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This is equivalent to a quarter of Lebanon's population. There is great hardship and distress in the refugee camps located in the two Beirut districts of Shatila and Borj el Borajne. Supported by Swiss Solidarity and the Waldensian Church in Italy, HEKS/EPER provides emergency aid for Syrian refugees and host families. As part of inter-church cooperation, HEKS/EPER also supports Protestant Church projects in Beirut designed to promote church life in communities, strengthen the social responsibility of churches for the entire population, initiate dialogue between representatives of different churches, and assist children of refugee families and migrant workers through afternoon schools and leisure programmes.

Facts

In 2017 some 9800 people received support through financial aid and «cash for work».

Thanks to HEKS/EPER, some 1550 children and adolescents developed new prospects.

Only those who understand a country's language will feel at home in it. Migrants in Switzerland who do not understand our national languages often have difficulty finding their bearings and becoming socially integrated. HEKS/EPER offers a wide range of language courses tailored to suit individual abilities and needs, for example, language courses for beginners, advanced learners, conversation courses, or mother-and-child language courses. These courses are available in the Cantons of Berne, Zürich, Thurgau, St. Gallen and Vaud.